House Dems Lash Out After Biden Signals He’ll Sign GOP-led Bill Ending COVID National Emergency
Democrats upset as Biden deviates from party stance on COVID-19 emergency
House Democrats are criticizing President Joe Biden for his decision to sign a GOP-led bill that will terminate the COVID-19 national emergency. Earlier this year, Biden urged party lawmakers to resist the legislation, but he recently signaled that he would support it.
Many Democrats joined their Republican colleagues in supporting the bill after they learned that Biden had no plans to veto it. The move has angered House Democrats who claim that they were caught off guard by Biden’s change of heart.
Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) expressed his frustration, saying “This is a problem. And, you know, we’ve got to have some conversations because this — they’ve got to do better.”
The House previously passed a resolution to end the COVID-19 emergency in February, but 197 Democrats voted against it on the Biden administration’s request. Back then, the White House opposed the bill due to the chaos it could create in the healthcare system. Instead, Biden promised to reject the measure and lift the emergency declaration on his own on May 11.
However, Biden has since backtracked from his earlier stance, and White House sources confirmed that he would sign the GOP-led bill in the event it reaches his desk.
Democrats are not upset over the decision itself but rather over Biden’s lack of communication regarding his plans. They complain that he has not been forthcoming with information, causing confusion and frustration among party members.
This marks the second occasion where Biden has disappointed House Democrats in recent weeks, the first being his decision not to veto a Republican-led bill that reversed the revised criminal code being implemented in Washington, D.C. Many party members who had already voted against the bill were disappointed by his actions.
The Senate has passed the measure to lift the COVID-19 emergency declaration, which will take effect once signed by Biden. The emergency declaration, first issued in January 2020, has been in effect continuously, with 90-day extensions.
It remains unclear when the Biden administration will finally end the state of emergency, though the Department of Health and Human Services has pledged to notify states at least 60 days before the expiration date.
When the COVID-19 public health emergency is lifted, several policy changes will occur, including changes in insurance markets and treatment approvals. Vaccines, testing, and treatments were offered for free to the public throughout the pandemic, while states were required to offer continuous enrollment for Medicaid and other public health insurance programs for low-income individuals.
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